Journey's End
by Rydwall
Summary: After the battles, the magic, the adventure... life moved on. A year after the final climactic battle, Sora waits on the Destiny Islands for a long overdue visitor... his older brother, Noctis
1. 1 - Journey's End

It was once again the end of the day, the sun sinking behind the dunes in a hazy red, the water lapping the shore with a sound like whispering. It could be slightly creepy, if you really thought about it, but Sora's imagination didn't take that course. He loved this time of day, when everything was peaceful, quiet and still on the island, most either gone home, or taking late walks along the paths of the neighborhoods. The sun dancing across the water made him feel calm, the smell of the salty waves in his nose, a cool breeze ruffling his hair. He'd taken to wearing it longer, his iconic spikes shaggy and floppy. He liked it, but general feedback was mixed.

Here, on the play island they'd claimed so long ago as their own, though things had grown smaller as they grew older, it was still a haven for reflection when life got too hectic.

Which was all too often these days, he thought, sourly. With high school finishing up, Riku talking more and more about moving to the South end of the island, Kairi always working on her burdening Gummitube beauty and health channel, Sora often felt left in the dust, confused and annoyed at how simple life became after saving the whole world. Everyone was content to just move along, like it wasn't anything important anymore. Even though Ienzo did chat with him sometimes on the Gummi phone, King Mickey was too rushed to speak most days, which Sora understood, of course, despite the twinge in his heart at the dismissal.

Lately, even though he knew those bonds would never change, never die so long as he was alive, he felt distant from the others: Donald, Goofy, Mickey, and so many others. He couldn't keep track of them these days, beyond the few who had opened social media pages, posting about accomplishments and life goals. Weddings, births, and the odd sad passing crossed his feed, with only a like button and comment system between him and those he'd grown close to.

He shook his head, then, these thoughts growing too thick in his head: he'd been doing that a lot lately, having weird thoughts. Life sometimes didn't feel real. He supposed that was a part of growing up: he wasn't a 15 year old kid, happy assing across different worlds, swinging a big key like it was an action movie or something, taking out evil with youthful vigor.

He could still summon the Keyblade, if he rested, and really tried his hardest, but there was little call for it these days, beyond just to prove to himself he still could.

Sora swallowed thickly, and watched the waves, lost in his memories.

He'd been planning this trip for a long time: Sora had no idea, despite keeping it a secret being a royal pain. The last time they'd met properly, Sora had been 12, himself 19. The age gap was still a reach they had trouble crossing sometimes, but Sora had been on adventures he couldn't fathom, seeing things he couldn't imagine. It was a lot to process, honestly, with his own life being so stuffy and quiet.

There'd be a lot to discuss once he arrived.

He leaned on the rails of the ship, watching the sun bleed across the water, red drifting away on the waves. It really was beautiful.

Many worlds, one sky, Sora had said once. He didn't know what it meant then, but now, he was pretty sure he had an idea.

* * *

"People are starting to talk some," Isa said one afternoon, as he and Lea walked back from Tram Common, loaded grocery bags in their hands. It felt like every week they needed more food, just to keep Roxas and Xion full. Teenagers, after all, needed those calories.

"Talk, huh?" Axel drawled, eyeing a passing woman, as if she had been one of the talkers. She frowned, and walked a bit faster, less from being truly guilty of talking about them behind their backs, more from simply being weirded out by Axel's piercing stare.

"Talk, yes. About us." Isa frowned, looking at the concrete as they walked. "...some rather...different implications. I didn't tell you before because I didn't want you angry."

"Oh, what, they sayin' we're a couple again?" Axel chuckled, used to the accusation by now. Not that he had anything against couples of any sort, he liked seeing people be happy. It just wasn't what was going on right then.

"No..." Isa's tone was a bit icy, which Axel noted for later perusal. "...they wonder who Xion and Roxas are. They talk about failed marriages, and wedlock."

"Oh, is that all," Axel huffed. Inside, he was greatly annoyed by this: people couldn't ever stop, could they? Always had to gossip about things they didn't like or understand. Idiots.

Outwardly, he slapped Isa on the back, jokingly, offering a grin. "Honestly, who cares? Let 'em talk. We're good dads to 'em, and that's all that matters in the long run, right?"

"...dads?" Isa asked, eyebrow raised.

"Been a Nope too long, Isa, forgotten how to react to things," Axel quipped, smirking at Isa's frown.

'Nope' was a slang Axel had invented all on his own, to refer to the Nobodies as a whole. He considered it a good idea to not mention the Organization aloud, or mention any of it where listening ears could catch it. For their own safety.

"Anyways," Isa went on, as if this hadn't happened at all, "their break is ending soon. They'll be back to classes."

"That's a relief," Axel replied, as they turned into Market Heights, the shops along the gentle slop closing down as afternoon came to an end. The skies slowly deepened red, the sun slipping behind the distant hills, the low orange glow of night coming on. After so much time spent in a world of permanent darkness and rain, the never fully dark town was odd for Axel to adjust to at first, but slowly he grew used to it. Twilight Town never truly got dark, with the nights resembling deep dusk, before the twilight of a new day began again.

"I suppose," Isa said, mildly, as the sound of the tram's horn echoed from above. They only had a few minutes to get on the late afternoon tram before it left for the day.

* * *

That night there was a small party on board, with wine, food and dancing all across the top deck. He attended, out of politeness to the ship captain, but declined to drink or mingle too much. He sat at a small table by the deck railing, watching the waves roll by under the bow of the ship, thinking. There was a lot to figure out, a lot of responsibilities coming he wasn't ready for just yet.

His friends would stand by him, of course, like that always did, no matter what he decided, but he felt that wasn't going to be enough this time. Something felt very strange, like the future wasn't exactly the shining one he had always imagined.

He shook his head at this, frowning: what was the matter with him? Why the doom and gloom out of nowhere, huh? He was fine, the guys were fine, and he was going to be married in less than a month. That in and of itself was a lot to take in, but he'd always felt before it was under control. Now?

A waitress offered him a glass of wine, and this time, shocking himself, he accepted it.

The pleasant buzz filled his head, as he watched the waves cresting, the horizon in the distance faintly glowing from the cities there. He'd been at the islands soon enough, he thought. It had been far too long since his last visit.

* * *

In the morning, Sora all but walked through his classes, earning a detention. He'd been at the islands late into the night, watching the horizon for any incoming ships. All for nothing. Not even a passing fish school.

And now, yawning, Sora slumped through the hall, bookbag dragging behind him, dangling from his hand by one strap. His feet shuffled, and he was pretty sure his shoes were scuffed, but he didn't care. He thumbed open his school blazer, leaving the building in a haze, blinking at the late afternoon sun.

He waved tiredly to a few friends, but declined any actual conversation: Tidus had run over with something, shirtless as usual, sports bang flinging around on his shoulder, but Sora had cut and run, citing a doctor's appointment.

Tidus was an okay guy, but after he joined the sports team, started dating, and had that thing with Wakka (Which might've dealt with dating, no one was really sure, and neither of them would say), Tidus was almost completely insufferable, only wanting to discuss his time in runs and football games. Sora wasn't interested right now.

Riku and Kairi were nowhere to be seen, which wasn't at all surprising anymore: Sora only saw Kairi on weekends, and Riku...

Riku was at the point he was in some denial of the past, refusing to talk about the adventures they'd been on, the battles. He'd lost the powers of the Keyblade, despite keeping in touch with Mickey and Yen Sid on social medias, and had honestly changed as a person. After all that had happened, to just let the past go not even a year later was very odd, but Sora understood in someway.

They were just kids, after all, kids with far too much power at their disposal, fighting battles no one could even dream of. Riku just wanted to live his life as normally as possible now, and that was understandable.

Kairi didn't refuse to talk about things, and had kept in close contact with several princesses, but Sora had felt a shift in her, too. She was so focused on her online persona, and keeping close track of the munny she made from it. She'd been absent twice this week already.

He shook his head, and trudged to the tram stop, ticket in hand. He'd go home and change, do what ever homework was desperately pressing, then go back to the island to watch the seas until night fell.

He wished everything would move faster.

* * *

He woke early, and did some stretches in his room, hitting his knees on the dresser. The place really wasn't set up for working out, but he needed to keep in some shape. Looking himself over in the mirror, he was shocked to see how much he'd bulked since the last time he'd bothered to really check: his stomach had tightened, his skin tanned from running. His hips were slender, chest more prominent. It was progress, without looking too buff. He didn't want to look like one of the guards back home, all rippling muscle and thick neck, but he needed to keep himself in good condition.

God knows he'd heard enough about it.

Pulling on a light sweater, he went above deck, nodding to the few people out this early: the sweater was soon discarded, leaving him in his undershirt, as the heat washed over him. They were definitely reaching the islands, the tropical heat already thick even this far out at sea.

He asked several of the crewmen, and got the same vague answer of being there in a few hours, but positively reaching them before the night fell. It would have to do.

* * *

Sora rubbed his temples, a headache hovering on the fringes of his mind: trig was not his friend, even after three years. He sighed, throwing down his pencil, and looking out the window: he could just see the islands if he craned his neck, and the sea around it. Nothing...

Wait... there, on the very distant horizon... a boat.

Sora was on his feet almost at once, grabbing his shoes and running down the stairs, tripping and falling as he pulled them on. The familiar yellow sneakers were torn and faded now, once lace snapped off a long time ago, but he couldn't bring himself to get rid of them. He wore them around the house, and to the island.

"Sora?" His mother called, as Sora ran by. "Dinner's almost-"

"I'll be back, ma! He's here!" Sora called back, slamming the door on his way out. His mother sighed, rubbing her temple. "Of course he is... only been eight years."

She checked the oven timer, making sure the meatloaf wasn't going to burn, and thought back to when she'd met Sora's father... and her other son's father. It was decided he would live with his father, while she took Sora and moved to the islands of her childhood, raising him as best she could alone.

She sometimes wondered if she'd done a good job, when she remembered the year Sora had been away, but that was often fuzzy in her mind. Sora had tried to explain it all, but she couldn't understand, and he couldn't tell her some things due to a "World Order" rule. It was decided they both forget it, and Sora been on deep restrictions until high school ended. He was only allowed to go the play island alone.

The timer dinged: Sora was late for dinner again.

* * *

Sora's arms ached from rowing, and he deeply regretted not going with Riku's long ago idea to add a bridge to the island: he had to hurry, or he'd miss him.

He tripped on the beach, eating sand with a grunt: the sole of his shoe had torn through finally.

"Still as careless as ever, huh?" A voice asked, laughing. "You don't ever change, Sora."

He looked up, wiping sand out of his eyes irritatedly: there he stood, a smirk on his lips, bag gripped in his hand. No one else was with him, the boat slowly trailing away in the distance.

His older brother... Noctis.

Noctis shook his head, offering his free hand to Sora. "You gonna make it home, or fall into the ocean first?" He teased.

"Hey, I'm here at least!" Sora griped, letting Noctis haul him back up. "My shoe split, it wasn't my fault."

"Sure, sure," Noctis chuckled. "Anyway...it's great to-"

He was cut off, a gasp involuntarily coming from his throat: Sora was latched on in a hug, his head only hitting Noctis' chest. He sometimes forgot how long it had been, seeing how tall Sora was now; the last time he'd been here, Sora only reached his hip.

"...I missed you, idiot," Sora murmured, sniffing. "You never call or email."

Noctis gently hugged Sora, guilt washing over him. "I know... I don't have an excuse. Dad keeps me busy these days..."

"Why?" Sora looked up, suspicion on his face. "...wait...is it..?"

"Yeah...in a few weeks. Luna and I are gonna be married."

Sora's whole face lit up, and he bounded away, fist pumping into the air. "That's great! That's amazing news, No-"

Down he went again, the sole of his shoe flapping like a bird wing. Noctis stifled a laugh. "Alright, alright... calm down before you break something. Let's head home, okay? Mom's probably mad at you for missing dinner."

"I didn't!" Sora protested, coughing.

"You always do," Noctis shot back, hands on his hips, a smirk on his face.

The two rowed back to the islands as the stars came out, a full moon rising over the waves. As Sora watched, a star fell across the skies, trailing slowly. He thought back to the last time he'd seen shooting stars, and frowned.

"Somethin' bothering you?" Noctis asked, wiping a runner of sweat off his face.

"Uh...no, just thinking about mom's meat loaf," Sora lied, chuckling. Noctis' stomach growled then, and they both laughed, as the street lights came on up and down the island, trails of smoke curling from chimney's. It would be Summer soon, a time for journeys and adventures, destinies unfolding.

All was well... for now.


	2. 2 - Yule Night

"'Kenny The Crow says Happy Yule'," Gladio read, eyeing the overly bright poster plastered to the diner window, the bright mascot grinning widely with a floppy Yule hat perched jauntily on his feathered head. Never mind the fact Kenny, as a crow, shouldn't have teeth or be able to grin at all with a beak rather than a mouth, it was just a Yule poster.

"They start earlier every year," Gladio complained, cocking a thumb at the poster. "Not even December, and they've got these things everywhere." He scoffed, rolling his eyes at the dozens of similar posters plastered on the walls of the diner, a large, plastic Yule tree glowing on the counter, a bright, cartoonish Shiva smiling atop it. She looked rather happy for someone with a tree shoved up her butt, Noctis though, wryly.

"But it's Kenny!" Prompto declared, shooting the thumbs up at the poster, grinning widely. "Be cool, Gladio!"

"...did you escape an after school special?" Noctis asked, crossing his arms, eyebrow raised. "No one says that anymore." He smirked, to show he was kidding.

"Everything I do is wrong," Prompto mock grumbled, shoving open the door, as Ignis sighed. "Gladio, don't spoil his fun. There's so little enjoyment on this trip."

"Gee, everything I do is wrong," Gladio cracked, heading inside. He got a booth, Prompto already at the counter ordering a massive dinner for them all from the weary looking cook. They needed it after the last hunt, which had taken them high into the mountains to hunt a goblin pack that had been killing cattle. One thing led to another, and the fight took almost four hours to win, black blood and goblin parts strewn across the mountain pass, each of them tired and wrung out like a used rag. They deserved the relaxation.

Noctis' phone blipped, and he pulled it out with a sigh, assuming it was another call from the overly impatient farmer they had taken the goblin hunt from: it wasn't. He didn't remember the number or area code, but the customized icon on his phone let him know who it was. He'd never had a head for number, so every single person whom he called regularly had a special icon programed into the call log. The golden crown blinked again, as he answered.

* * *

"...ra? Sora? Hey, the connection's really bad in...ere..."

Sora frowned, worrying the call could drop, and stopped rowing to try and help the already weak signal stabilize. "Sorry!" He said, laughing it off, "I was rowing. I think it messed up the call."

"Do you live in that boat?" Noctis asked, deadpan, before chuckling. That was his way, always had been: his sense of humor was very dry for most people, but Sora was more than used to it by now.

"Only on weekends," he said, waving to some guys he knew from school, fishing off the nearby docks. It was around 4pm, and most of the teens had gathered at the beach for a bonfire, collecting dried logs and bits of drift wood to set ablaze the second the sun went down. Sora had been invited, and probably would show later. Maybe...

"So how's things?" He asked, holding his gummiphone to his ear carefully, so he didn't drop in the water like his last one.

* * *

"Ah, well... you know..." Noctis hedged. How did you explain being on a roadtrip with your royal entourage to meet your soon to be bride? With various missions to earn some gil on the side, adding to their time on the road, plus other...incidents. Sora wouldn't understand, and Noctis wasn't in the mood to even begin explaining all of it.

Sora, however, had moved on, as he did, bouncing from topic to topic. Noctis liked talking to his brother, yes, but the ADHD quality of his conversations wore him out sometimes. He mostly listened, making the odd reassuring noise to let Sora know he was listening. The signal blared in and out, as the distance between them worked hard on the wires, making Sora fuzzy.

"Sorry," Sora said, after finishing a lengthy story about an incident with a escaped frog in science class, and the frog deciding that under the skirt of Quistis, the most popular girl in class, was the place to be. Chaos had ensued, Quistis requiring first aid to ward off warts in a few unfortunately places. The frog eventually escaped, and wasn't ever found again, but hopefully was alive somewhere.

"That's pretty insane," Noctis agreed, chuckling about the incident with Sora, who clipped in and out as if going in a tunnel. "Sounds like you liked her, though," he added.

"N...no I don't!" Sora protested. Noctis could almost hear the blush in his voice, chuckling.

"I'm just joshing with you, bro," Noctis drawled, nodding at Prompto, who was jabbing a finger at the menu, pointing out some greasy, possibly deadly bacon chili fries displayed in lurid colours. "You and Kairi are still a thing, right?"

"W...well...we never made it official..." Sora said, voice a bit rusty. He quickly cleared his throat. "We haven't...uh...kissed or anything..."

"So?" Noctis scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Take it at your own pace, man."

"Well, Tidus has already done it," Sora said, a touch of teenage jealousy in his voice. "So has Wakka."

"Sora..." Noctis sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Tidus is the living embodiment of a himbo, and a walking condom ad. Don't base your life choices on what he does."

"Himbo?" Ignis asked, softly, pushing his glasses back up his nose. He'd been listening, leaning against the wall casually, and trying to make it look like he wasn't listening. Noctis shook his head, mouthing "Later", Ignis stifled a chuckle, a gloved hand to his smirking lips.

Sora had been lamenting Tidus and his conquests, and Noctis had had more than enough of that nonsense. "Sora, there's more to life than getting it on with people. Tidus is gonna end up in a home for pervs somewhere, riddled with STDS."

Ignis chuckled softly at this, walking to the counter at a dirty look from Noctis, ordering a salad. Noctis blew the hair out his eyes, and went outside, leaning against the wall of the diner. "So, besides your friends trying to be porn stars, what's new? Mom doing okay?"

"Oh, you know," Sora said, a bit flippantly. "She misses dad a lot this time of year, you know..."

He cleared his throat, going quiet. An awkward silence followed for a few moments, Noct's cheeks feeling like they were burning, his throat dry. He always felt so guilty when Sora mentioned how their mother felt about the distance, even when it wasn't exactly his fault in the first place. Noct visited when he could, but it was sadly rarer than he'd like. The visit earlier in that year had been far too short, only lasting a few weeks.

Yule had always been his father's favorite time of year, spent in a month long celebration, with lavish decorations and sumptuous feasts. Noctis and Sora's mother had only spent one Yule with their father, but she spoke of it often, according to Sora, making some of the same lavish recipes for their admittedly simpler celebration. It made Noctis feel awful every year, the Yule month becoming more and more painful with each passing season.

"Yeah, bud... I know she does. He's going to try and visit after the first of the year, you know. Go see you guys on the island for a couple of months."

It was only a partial, white lie: Regis had talked about it, and there was a listing in his calendar for a cruise to the islands, but Regis talked about a lot of things, scheduled a lot of things, that were later cancelled. It meant absolutely nothing beyond a cursory remembrance out of the spirit of the season, and it would probably be forgotten in a week.

Noctis glanced at the counter, Ignis watching him closely, Gladio checking his phone, and Prompto all but diving face first into a plate of bacon fries. Ignis didn't say anything, but his eyes all but screamed at Noctis to hurry it up already.

"I should get going," Noctis said softly, feeling even guiltier somehow. "I'll call as soon as I can, though," he added, brightly.

"Oh, yeah, it's fine!" Sora was always bright, always excited to hear from Noctis, no matter how fast the calls had to be. "Just call before Yule, okay? Riku's having a beach party, and getting him outside these days isn't easy."

Noctis knew all about Riku's issues: His mother had kept in touch during the "Absence" as they called it, where Sora just disappeared one day, not returning for a year and a half. The truth was overly complicated, and the family decided to just get over it and move on, not questioning it too much for fear of Sora running off again. Riku had been severely depressed for the past year, so hearing he was throwing a beach party was a rarity.

"Say hi to mom for me," Noctis said, holding up a finger to Ignis' angry look, Gladio making a "What's the hold up" sort of shrug, rolling his eyes. Prompto, for his part, was too busy finishing off the slices of cheesecake the tired looking waitress had brought over, his own portion joining Ignis and Gladio's.

"I will!" Sora half yelled, the sound of water crackling over the phone. "Crap, a ton of water got in!"

"Don't drown, kiddo," Noctis chuckled. "Stay safe."

"By-" Sora began, but the call dropped in a burst of static. Sora must've dropped the phone in the water again.

* * *

In reality, the call had dropped when the sun vanished behind the clouds, Sora frowning. "This thing," he muttered, stuffing it in the pocket of his school blazer. He'd ditched the tie before starting out, stuffing it away in his school bag with his homework. Technically, he should've been at home doing the math and science work sheets Mr. Snow had sent home, but it was Friday; no one did all their homework Friday. Besides, Riku's beach party was more important right now, so...

"Sora!"

The voice shook him out of his thoughts, making him look up" Kairi stood on the shore of the play island, arms full of logs and sticks, hair in her eyes, a smile on her lips. Sora waved, feeling his heart beat just a little bit faster as seeing her, his breath catching. He'd been doing that a lot lately, blaming the unfortunate hormones and feelings a normal high schooler felt.

Kairi being a literal princess might have had something to do with it, as all Princess of Heart were just easy to love, but he knew Kairi wouldn't ever use magic or whatever powers she still held for something so petty. He was just in too deep, and-

"Ya gonna sit in the water forever, or are ya going come help us find firewood?"

Riku, arms crossed over his chest, his blazer open to expose his lean body. He'd built up muscles over the past year, and Sora's self esteam took a slight hit to see the six pack and lean hips Riku was putting on display, in comparison to his own flat belly and unlined waist. Riku almost looked like the superior between them, but that wasn't anything new.

Shaking these thoughts aside, Sora smiled, picking up his oars. "I'm coming! Sorry!"

Kairi only had eyes for him, smiling brightly.

* * *

"You were on the phone for ten years," Prompto complained. He had sauce smeared on his mouth, droplets scattered on his shirt. He looked like he'd gotten more on his face than in his mouth in the end. Noctis smirked, biting on his knuckle so he didn't laugh as he slid onto a stool.

"Yeah, well, it's my kid brother... I didn't want to cut it short," he explained, passing on the offered food. Ignis frowned at this, but didn't say anything. There'd been a bit of leeway lately with how much Ignis told him what to do since they'd started out, and Noctis both liked it and hated it. He felt almost lost at times, shoved into adulthood quicker than he was used to after years of an admittedly coddled life. It made him feel uneasy.

"Prom, it's Yule," Gladio rumbled, on his second slice of rum cake, crumbs scattered across the table. "Lighten up. He doesn't see the kid but once or twice a year."

Prompto mumbled something about phone bills, and Gladio chuckled.

"Happy Yule, Prom," Noctis said, slapping the skinny blond on the back. Prompto yelped, and Noct chuckled, as Prompto rubbed the red mark. "I'm not a punching bag!" He cried.

Outside, a light snow started to fall, the flakes hitting the window with soft patters. They would need their Winter gear in the morning, but it was Yule tonight, and they were together for now. Everything would work out.

* * *

After the sun had gone down, they started the bonfire, the flames leaping into the air, crackling loudly. In the end, nearly everyone had bailed on the party, the last minute prep clashing with homework and other obligations. It was just the three of them again, like the old days, sitting on one of the smooth logs circling the stone firepit, watching the flames. Kairi was holding Sora's hand gently, rubbing her thumb along his palm. His heart pounded a bit at this, his throat dry. They weren't saying anything, just enjoying the heat of the fire, the sound of the waves, the distant call of seabirds.

Riku tossed another log in the fire, meeting Sora's eye: the long journeys had changed them all so much, and it was hard to go back sometimes, to just be teens, living their life. Riku had it the worse, knowing a dark part of himself was always there, always inside. He looked at Sora for a few moments, thinking back to the last time they'd been able to run on the island, as carefree children. Things were different now, and always would be.

Sora smiled at Riku, not sharing these dark thoughts, and Riku smirked, embarrassedly, getting to his feet. "I'm gonna find some coconuts," he muttered, stalking off into the night.

"He's so moody," Kairi said, softly, so Riku didn't hear. She didn't mean it unkindly, and smiled to show this, but Riku could've taken it wrong. Her grip on Sora's hand tightened a little.

"Well uh...you know...Riku," Sora said, lamely. Kairi laughed, tinkling bells in the heat of the night. She leaned slightly, resting her head on Sora's chest. His heart raced, and he swallowed.

"...happy Yule...Sora," she said, closing her eyes, enjoying Sora's body heat on her cheek.

"Happy Yule," he said. He gently put his arm around her shoulder.

They sat in the warmth of the fire, thinking about the past, and what could come in the near future.


End file.
